Broadband Technology (Aberdeenshire)

Mr. Salmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government is taking to promote broadband technology in Aberdeenshire. [76651]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 28 October 2002]: The Scottish Executive is implementing its broadband strategy "Connecting Scotland: Our broadband future" and will shortly be publishing an update to that strategy outlining progress to date.

One strand of the strategy is to identify the need for direct support measures and this has been taken forward through the #4.4 million Scottish programme of projects under the UK Broadband Fund. There are measures to stimulate awareness and demand for broadband via a broadband information website and a network of local demonstration centres for SMEs. On the supply side, there are technology trials in rural areas, such as Powerline Carrier and Wireless pilots, which aim to determine the potential of these technologies for delivering broadband in rural communities.

In addition, the DTI is establishing a network of broadband experts to be located in each of the English regions and the devolved Administrations, to spread best practice in the promotion and take-up of broadband technology.

All of these measures will help stimulate the rollout and take-up of broadband technologies throughout Scotland, including in Aberdeenshire.

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Cable Networks

Jim Dowd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress in completing the non-BT cable network, as set out in the terms of the Telecommunications Act 1984. [77348]

Mr. Timms:
Cable networks currently pass approximately 50 per cent. of UK households. Decisions on whether to extend coverage further are a commercial matter for the cable company concerned, as network expansion is no longer dictated by the build milestones in a cable operator's Telecommunications Act licence. Cable franchises, when originally granted, contained a balance of exclusivity and build milestones. Since 1998, the exclusivity of the franchises has been progressively removed to enable greater competition in the provision of communications services. This process was completed on 1 January 2001. In recognition of this, cable operators' licences are no longer subject to build milestones.

Combined Heat and Power

Mr. Gareth Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further action she plans to take to ensure the target of 10GWe of CHP by 2010 is achieved; and if she will make a statement. [78140]

Mr. Wilson:
The draft CHP strategy reiterated the Government's commitment to a target of at least lOGWe of Good Quality CHP capacity by 2010. Responses to the consultation on the CHP strategy will feed into consideration of the Energy White Paper. A summary of the responses to the consultation will be placed on the DEFRA website shortly.

Commercial Kiosk Service

Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding the Government will provide for the Commercial Kiosk Service; and if she will make a statement. [77477]

Mr. Timms:
The commercial kiosk pilot due to start early next spring will be a commercially funded undertaking. It will not receive financial support from Government. However Government expects to participate by making UK online interactive available on the kiosks.

Communication and Information Industries

Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of UK GDP the communication and information industries represent; and if she will make a statement. [77906]

Mr. Timms:
The communication and information industries represented about 9 per cent. of total UK Gross Value Added at basic prices in 2000. The estimate has been derived from the ONS Input-Output Analyses and the ONS Annual Business Inquiry.

Community Development Venture Capital Fund

Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which private companies are

31 Oct 2002 : Column 977W

involved in administration of the Community Development Venture Capital Fund in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland. [78147]

Nigel Griffiths:
Bridges Community Ventures Ltd. administers the Community Development Venture Fund.

Credit Licences

Mr. Weir:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if she will list the occasions on which credit licences issued by the Office of Fair Trading under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 were (a) approved, (b) revoked and (c) refused within Scotland, broken down by area; [76541]

(2) how many credit licences were (a) revoked and (b) refused in each of the last five years. [76542]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 23 October 2002]: Information on refusals and revocations of consumer credit licences is available only at national level. The figures for the UK for the last five years are:

Licences revoked

Licence applications refused

1997

34

18

1998

15

18

1999

25

27

2000

31

35

2001

21

26

2002 to date

14

25

The number of licences issued to applicants based in Scotland since 18 October 1997 is:

Licences issued

1997

272

1998

1,569

1999

1,312

2000

1,067

2001

1,015

2002 to 30 September

754

Figures for licences issued are not kept on the basis of regions within Scotland. The total number of licences issued in the last five years by postcode area is:

Post code

Number

AB

587

DD

310

DG

144

EH

966

FK

279

G

1,522

HS

19

IV

232

KA

411

KW

47

KY

384

ML

410

PA

331

PH

221

TD

111

ZE

15

31 Oct 2002 : Column 978W

Energy Supply

Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with Ofgem about guaranteeing long-term security of energy supply; and if she will make a statement. [77483]

Ms Hewitt:
My Department is in regular contact with Ofgem to discuss energy security issues. The Joint Energy Security of Supply working group (JESS), chaired jointly by DTI and Ofgem, is the main forum for jointly monitoring security of supply issues over a medium-term timescale of up to seven years. The first JESS report, containing security indicators, was issued in June 2002 and a copy was placed in the House of Commons Library. Long-term energy security to 2020 and beyond is a key subject for the forthcoming Energy White Paper, due to be published in the new year. Ofgem are involved in the inter-departmental steering group, which is developing the White Paper.

EU Copyright Directive

Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the likely effects of the EU Copyright Directive in terms of (a) the ownership of intellectual property and (b) access to information. [76957]

Miss Melanie Johnson:
The EU Copyright Directive does not require us to make any changes that will affect the ownership of intellectual property. Moreover, copyright does not protect information as such. Where information is contained in a copyright protected work, then implementation of the Directive in the UK will not make any change of substance to the copyright owner's existing right to control if and how that work is made available to the public by any means.

Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received regarding the implementation of the EU Copyright Directive (2001/298/EC) (2); and if she will make a statement. [76956]

Miss Melanie Johnson:
The consultation on implementation of the EU Copyright Directive has a closing date of 31 October. We will be considering all responses very carefully as we take forward work on implementation.

Export Control Organisation

Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) target and (b) actual time to complete licence assessments by the Export Control Organisation is for (i) applications where other Government Departments are consulted and (ii) applications not circulated to other Government Departments; and if she will make a statement. [78288]

Nigel Griffiths:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Crosby (Mrs. Curtis-Thomas) on 6 March 2002, Official Report, column 399W. In almost all cases it is necessary for a Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) application to be circulated to other Government Departments for advice.

31 Oct 2002 : Column 979W

Export Credit Guarantees (Gulf States)

Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the annual value is of export credit guarantees issued to (a) Qatar, (b) Bahrain, (c) the United Arab Emirates, and (d) Oman since 1995; how many guarantees were issued in each year; what percentage of guarantee value each year was in each export sector; and if she will list each project of more than #10 million supported by those guarantees. [77377]

31 Oct 2002 : Column 980W

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 28 October 2002]: The following table lists the ECGD maximum liability for all guarantees issued since 1995 for the specified markets. It also lists the number of such guarantees, the percentage of maximum liability under the civil, civil aerospace and defence sectors and a broad description of the projects for guarantees issued over #10 million.